


Late Night Run-Ins

by Quickil



Series: Clad In Black (And Various Other Colors) [6]
Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Asexual Character, Character Study, Doctor Who refrence?, Explicit Language, Furry, Gen, Humor, I will neither confirm nor deny that, Local asexual author with no flirting experience attempts to write flirting, Original Character(s), Prompt Fic, Surprise! I wrote a second Chapter!, The chapters have very different vibes ngl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:48:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21676279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quickil/pseuds/Quickil
Summary: This stranger was a killer, and an evidently good one at that, but she had also saved her life. She stared at the hand, at the assassin’s face, and then back to the hand again, breath shaking. Could she trust it?“Who are you...death?” The words left Ashanti’s mouth before she could stop them.“Sometimes. Not today” A groan sounded from one of the thugs behind her. The wolf turned and smiled at the heap, holstering her gun. “Now are you gonna get up from there or what?”
Series: Clad In Black (And Various Other Colors) [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1199962





	1. Chapter 1

Ashanti typically didn’t get into trouble. Even as a child, she was always the most well behaved out of her siblings. The extent of her ‘Rebellious Teen’ phase was arguing about how late she could stay up with her parents. 

Ashanti was a kind soul. She waved at every passerby and smiled at every regular that walked into her coffee shop. The caracal made it a point to keep tabs on them all, asking how they were, especially if she hadn’t seen them for awhile. On Fridays she discounted her coffees by 50% for any college students that came in. Every night on her walk home, she gave a couple of dollars to the homeless wolf that lived on the corner, and during the colder seasons, a hot coffee to go with it. 

Tuesdays and Thursdays, Ashanti left work early to help teach art at the state penitentiary. She specialized in modeling and pottery. The inmates always enjoyed when she decided to get the wheel and kiln out. The aftermath was often messy, but everyone had a good time. Even Jim, a large owl with a horrific scar down the side of his face joined in despite his usual tendency to stand in the corner and glare at everyone.

Ashanti was gentle and willing to listen to anyone, whether they were a customer or an inmate. That didn’t mean, however, that she would take anyone’s shit. So in the end, after a good week of tolerating the thugs that leaned against the wall outside the shop, catcalling any girl that walked by (Ashanti included), she decided to do something about it. All she did was simply kick them off the premises, and when they said a few lewd things, gave them the finger.

Ashanti had most definitely not expected that would put her in her current predicament.

The caracal’s head was slammed down onto the hard concrete, making her see stars. Ashanti had been walking home when she was dragged into the dark alley. She couldn’t tell exactly who it was, but she was fairly certain it was the same thugs who she told off the other day. One of them kicked her in the gut and she let out a little yelp, clutching her stomach. That set off a chorus of laughter from the three thugs.

“Awww, look at the little kitten!”

“All bark and no bite isn’t she?” One of the thugs crouched down and grabbed one of her large ears. He shook it around a bit, jostling Ashanti and making her growing headache worse.

“What’s a pretty gal like you doing all alone so late at night anyway?”

When Ashanti didn’t answer, and the thug holding her ear yelled into it. “HELLO? ANYONE HOME?” 

They laughed as she flinched from the loud sound.

“Fuck off…” she murmured, barely audible. She was quickly punched in the face. A trickle of blood ran from her nose onto the pavement as her head was dropped. It hit the ground with a thud. Another kick was delivered to her side, making her yelp once again. One of the thugs leaned into her face.

“Shut up you little bitch!”

“Now who are ya calling a bitch?”

The four figures in the ally turned up to the roof of a building adjacent to them where a figure stood crouched at the top. The moon was behind them, cloaking them in a darkness that prevented Ashanti from seeing any discernible features.

“After all,” the caracal was able to tell it was a feminine voice now, “The only dog I see here is you!” She gestured to the thug that had gotten in her face. “Then again, you look as if you’ve got so much mange that I can hardly tell!” The voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“You trying to start something?!” the thug behind Ashanti yelled up to the figure.

“Oh, but of course! Though I won’t have to if you let that lovely lady down there go.”

The third thug stepped forward a bit, “Why don’t you come down here and make us!”

“Gladly!”

The figure leaned slowly forward as she prepared to depart from the roof and onto the ground. She was illuminated by a window from the other building, allowing Ashanti and the thugs to get a better look at who the newcomer was. 

She was a light grey wolf with blue markings under eyes and a half ring around her muzzle. A darker grey stripe came from somewhere beyond her head and ended in a diamond on her forehead, which held a smaller blue diamond in the center. A black leather jacket adorned her shoulders and a pair of equally dark pants held onto her waist via a belt. Black hiking boots were planted firmly on the concrete and a pair of chains rattled a bit at her hips. A large grin spread across her face with sharp teeth, and her green eyes seemed to be smiling as well.

Ashanti didn't recognize her apparent savior, but the thugs apparently did. The one that had stepped closer to the wolf back pedaled a few steps and the thug directly in front of Ashanti lowered his ears. A scuffling sound accompanied by a string of curses behind her led her to believe that the third thug had backed up as well.

The wolf seemed to be moving deliberately slowly, as if she wanted them to see exactly who was raining on their parade. She strode with the confidence of an apex predator, and as she got closer, Ashanti began to see the gleam of medal on her belt. It didn’t take long for her to realize that the gleam was from a pair of guns. That made Ashanti’s eyes widen.

The thugs were seemingly caught in a limbo of fight or flight. The spell was only broken when one of them squared his shoulders and straightened up, a posture that shouted ‘I am NOT scared of you’. The other two followed suit, reassured in the fact that it would be a three on one fight...too bad they were still shaking. 

By now the wolf had smoothly made it to the ground, and was steadily advancing toward them. Her eyes were scanning them up and down, assessing them. 

The first thug pulled back his arm and tried to land a punch onto the wolf’s face, only for her to block it and firmly grasp his wrist. The thugs eyes widened as she slowly closed the gap between their faces, stopping just a few inches before making contact. 

Then, in a deep, threatening voice, halfway between being soft and a deadly growl, “You should’ve known **_not to fuck with me_ **.” The grin turned into a snarl of pure disgust and loathing.

She kneed him in the groin effective immediately.

From there the fight escalated, turning into a flurry of movement and fists. At one point Ashanti heard a gunshot and a thug fell to the ground, clutching his leg. She knew logically that she should be scurrying away, hiding somewhere safe or grabbing the cops, but the caracal was frozen in place, transfixed with the scene in front of her.

Ashanti was watching a dance. A dance perfected by years of practice. By years of doing god only knows what. 

_‘Probably this._ ’ Ashanti thinks to herself.

Typically she didn’t like violence, didn’t like confrontation, but the wolf’s movements were so graceful, so elegant, so smooth, and yet so fast and precise. All the while the wolf’s mouth was off running, throwing sarcastic remarks and witty insults at her opponents. How did she multitask like that?

She is brought out of her thoughts by another ‘thunk’ sound as one of the two thugs still standing is sent into a wall, shaking his head before rushing back in only to get an elbow to the nose. 

Ashanti’s eyes widened a bit as she continued to watch the fight from the floor, head still slightly throbbing. Something about this seemed familiar. She thought back to the other day, while teaching. There were whispers around the room, uneasy whispers. 

_“Ya hear about the newbie that got in last night?”_

_“Yea. Didn’t he just get out of the hospital? Saw him with a sling.”_

_“Story has it that he got put there by The Devil and Echo.”_

_“You can’t be serious. Hardly anyone gets out of their way alive!”_

_“Apparently they decided to let this one go! Not without some broken bones and a concussion at least.”_

_“It doesn’t fit the M.O! The Echo hardly gets close enough to break an arm, and The Devil would’ve stuck him with one of those knives before anyone had the chance to break the newbie’s arm.”_

_“He says they decided to go easy on him. Give him a chance to ‘make better life choices’.”_

_“I don’t believe a single thing that comes out of that guy’s mouth.”_

Ashanti had heard about The Devil and Echo before. The inmates often talked about them as if they were boogeymen of some kind. According to them, these two psychos were going around messing up mafia plans and gangs. If you had the right connection you could ask them to ‘take out the trash’ for you, for a price that is. Apparently they would only take jobs on other criminals and would be more than willing to turn on you if you pissed them off enough. 

Ashanti wasn’t so sure she believed what they were saying...until now that is.

The last thug had fallen to the ground with a groan, face down on the concrete. The one with the shot leg had slowly been dragging his way out of the alley during the fight, leaving a blood trail behind him. The wolf turned to where it began, and with a growl walked a few strides to where the thug was now desperately attempting to crawl away. He was quickly grasped by the collar with a black gloved hand.

“I said to **_sit_ **.”

She clocked him in the face and as the thug went under, dropped him.

“Good boy!”

It was at that moment that the wolf turned, looking Ashanti in the eyes, gold meeting green. The caracal was largely aware of the gun that was still held in the apparent assassin’s glove. ‘ _Which one is she?’._

A moment later, the unthinkable happened. The wolf offered Ashanti her hand. _Should she take it?_ This stranger was a killer, and an evidently good one at that, but she had also saved her life. She stared at the hand, at the assassin’s face, and then back to the hand again, breath shaking. _Could she trust it?_

“Who are you...death?” The words left Ashanti’s mouth before she could stop them.

“Sometimes. Not today” A groan sounded from one of the thugs behind her. The wolf turned and smiled at the heap, holstering her gun. “Now are you gonna get up from there or what?”

Blinking herself out of her stupor, Ashanti moved to get up, only for her shaking legs to buckle. She quickly caught herself against the brick wall. Her limbs felt heavy, but the throbbing in her head had reduced to a slight dull pain. 

“Yea. Adrenaline will do that to ya.” The wolf had moved backwards to lean against the adjacent wall, hand wiping at a small cut on her cheek.

Ashanti slid down her wall respectively and observed her nonchalantness. The caracal was a bit confused. _Why was she still here? The bad guys were obviously down._

“Your one of them, aren’t you?”

“One of who?” The wolf, seemingly unfazed by the question, had taken one of her pistols out again and was cleaning it with a rag she had procured from a pocket. The white cloth was stained in grey and red hues. Ashanti decided she didn’t want to know what was on there, though she had a pretty good feeling she already did. 

“The Devil and Echo.”

The wolf grinned again at that, huffing a bit, “The Echo! At your service!” She did a bow, gun and cloth still in hand.

“Where is The Devil at? Aren’t you partners?”

The Echo straightened up again. “Oh, but of course! That doesn’t mean we are always patrolling together though. Sometimes we like a slight bit more difficulty.” She gestured in the air as she spoke. “gotta ask, how exactly did you find yourself in such an utter Charlie Foxtrot?”

Ashanti squinted at that. “Charlie Foxtrot?”

“A cluster fuck!” She broke into a bit of a snicker. Oddly enough, Ashanti didn’t feel as if it was patronizing at all. It was much more likely to that of watching someone laugh at an inside joke she didn't understand.

After a moment of the wolf staring expectantly at her, the caracal came clean. She told her about the thugs harassing people outside of her shop and how she booted them off, how she got dragged down here on her way home. It was during this time that she realized she was terrified. _What if they came back? Will they bring backup? Worse yet, what if they decide to harm my customers?_

She decided it was best not to bring up those concerns with her new acquaintance. After all, she didn’t know how The Echo would feel about them. Often times she was laughed at or talked down to for her genuine worry about other people, called naive or too worried about things that didn’t concern her. 

The assassin was evidently good at reading people (Ashanti figured it was probably important in her profession), as she seemed to be able to tell what she was thinking.

“Your scared that they will come back, aren’t you?”

Ashanti looked away, embarrassed, and nodded her head in confirmation.

“I could keep you safe. They’re all afraid of me.”

The caracal looked at her in disbelief. “How could you possibly manage that?”

The Echo grinned again, for seemingly the hundredth time in the past five minutes they had been talking. “I do very bad things, and I do them very well.”

“How do you know they won’t show up when your not around?” Ashanti finally managed to stand from the wall, legs still shaking a bit.

She didn’t say anything, grin staying on her face as she took one of the guns from her waist. Ashanti froze for a minute, slightly spooked by the deadly weapon. She watched in fascination as the wolf unloaded a single bullet from the gun before holstering it again. The Echo leaned down and retrieved a pocket knife from her boot. Ashanti hadn’t even noticed it was there! A moment of silence sat between them as the assassin etched something onto the bullet, pale blue tongue poking out of her mouth slightly. 

After a minute the knife was folded again and shoved back into the boot. The wolf inspected her handy work, nodding in approval, before offering it to Ashanti.

Ashanti tentatively took the bullet from the black glove and looked it over. It was silver and shiny, not unlike a normal bullet she supposed, but a capital 'E' had been scratched into it. It wasn't perfect by any means, a line or two just a _bit_ to long. She looks to The Echo questioningly.

"Carry this with you. If anyone gives you any trouble just show it to them. They'll be gone quicker than you can tell them to 'F off'."

"What if they don't get the hint?"

The wolf leaned in a bit closer to her. "Then you can tell them that I will be _very_ **_very_ ** unhappy." She quickly retracted back after finishing her mildly threatening statement 

"Are you sure you don't need this?" Ashanti asked, still hesitant.

"Whipper will barely miss it!" The Echo said, tail wagging cheerfully.

"Who's Whipper?"

The assassin patted the gun on her hip. 

"Will you be able to get home okay?"

Ashanti took a minute to consider, and deciding she was fine, confirmed that she would be able to get home. 

"Well then my work here is done! I'll be on my way!" 

The wolf began to walk away, and before Ashanti could stop herself, she called out to her, "Will I be seeing you again?"

The Echo paused to respond, "I'll be watching, don't worry. Au Revoir!" She waved with an overly flamboyant hand, then disappeared around the corner. 

Ashanti moved her aching body out of the alley and into a beam from a street light. She looked down the way The Echo had turned, but the assassin had vanished. 

Beginning her trek back home, she reflected on the...Charlie Foxtrot... that had occurred in the last hour. Getting jumped and then having a conversation with a known killer hadn't been her plans for the evening. She sighed.

"At least I have an interesting story to tell the class next Thursday."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I decided to write a second chapter! Originally I was going to make a PMV on my youtube that would show what happened after the first one, but I figured Fuck it. I'll write it too. PMV probably won't be made for a while anyway.

Ashanti opened her eyes to the sunlight that filtered in through her blinds and fell across her face. She grumbled a bit and burrowed deeper into the warmth of her covers. Just because she was awake didn't mean she had to get up.

After a few minutes, she opened her eyes with a heavy sigh. Yes. Yes it did. She had a shift at twelve today.

The caracal sat up and checked her phone to find it was 8:00, an hour earlier than her alarm was set for. Quickly disabling it so it wouldn't startle her later, she stood before she could convince herself to curl back up. She stretched her limbs with a yawn, and picked her way to her closet.

She grabbed a floral shirt and some jeans, deeming them casual enough to go out in, but also professional enough to wear at work. After changing, she made her to her desk. Sitting on top was a silver bullet with a crookedly engraved 'E', the bullet she got from the Echo.

A sun beam was shining directly on it, as if someone had positioned a spotlight over the item. It was shiny in the light, as if the bullet were trying to draw attention to itself.

For some reason this amused Ashanti. She found it a bit ironic that something so bright would be carried by someone that wanted to stay hidden.

The caracal put the bullet in her pocket. 

  
  


~~~

  
  


Everywhere Ashanti went, she swore she saw the Echo. A flash of green eyes there, a taunting smirk here, the scent of leather and gunpowder on the wind. She slipped her hand in her pocket and fiddled with the bullet, as had become a habit in the past three weeks. 

The memories of that night still weighed heavily on her mind, but could you really blame her? Ashanti had nearly died beaten and bruised in a back alley only for a character straight from an action movie to come save her. There was no doubt in her mind that she would be dead if it weren't for the Echo.

Ashanti was probably overthinking when she saw those fragments of the assassin in the corners of her vision. 

She continued on her way down the street, smiling at strangers as she passed them. There was a slight breeze, and as it blew past, Ashanti lifted her head to greet it. She always had enjoyed the feeling of the wind through her fur. It was a nice day out. The sun was shining down past the tall skyscrapers, casting shadows over the street.

Ashanti opened the glass door to her favorite cafe. She loved the little homey building, with its large glass windows that allowed the natural light to trickle through and its oak tables. Sure, they technically were her competition (at least partly), but that didn’t mean she couldn’t still enjoy their food!

The caracal took her seat at a table right next to the window towards the front of the cafe and ordered some eggs and bacon from the waitress. She turned her attention outside the window and watched the morning rush. Besides the good food, Ashanti also enjoyed this place for general people watching.

Idly leaning against the back of her chair, Ashanti once again found herself fingering the bullet in her pocket. She lifted the bullet from her clothing and traced the ‘E’ etched into it.

_ I never got to say thank you.  _ That had been bugging Ashanti since the morning after her run in with the assassin.  _ The Echo had saved her life and she hadn’t even gotten a thank you.  _

  
  


~~~

  
  


Her day at work was mostly uneventful. As per usual, Ashanti helped at the front of the store, making and serving coffee for her usuals. Since she had taken the afternoon shift, it was slower than she was used to. At one point no one came in for a good thirty minutes, giving Ashanti and her coworkers a break.

“I can’t understand for the life of me how ya manage to stay in such a good mood even when jerks like him are giving ya crap.” The bat next to her continued making the Frappuccino.

“Well it’s all about patience, Wicker! It’s amazing what just a year and a half’s worth of working retail can do to you!”

“Eight months ago I probably woulda’ punched him,” Wicker paused, drizzling an obscene amount of chocolate onto his drink, “Still would if ya ever asked me too.” He took a large sip of his chocolate syrup with a bit of Frappuccino. He mumbled “Take it from my paycheck,” around the cup.

Ashanti chuckled at his chocolate mustache. “I think I prefer you out of jail than in it.”

“Still worth it if ya asked.”

Ashanti had met Wicker while he was still an inmate, and had given him a job once he got out. She would rather have the bat at her shop than robbing houses again. 

“Even so, I’m pretty sure I already have someone watching out for me.” Ashanti’s fingers once again found the bullet.

“Sure, but are they willin’ to beat the shit out of someone?”

“I’m afraid she already beat you to it.” Ashanti pulled the bullet out from her pocket and studied it in the light.

Wicker took another sip of his Frappuccino only to choke at the sight of it, or more specifically the ‘E’ etched into the metal. 

“Jesus Christ, you're not kidding! How the hell did you manage to get that?” The bat said after his coughing subsided, his voice slightly panicked. 

“A few weeks ago some thugs pulled me into an alleyway. Trust me when I say that she definitely beat the shit out of them.”

Wicker glanced around nervously, eyeing the security camera in the corner of the ceiling.“At least we know we ain’t gonna get robbed anytime soon.”

“You know, I hadn’t even thought about that!”

Wicker nodded. “That bullet there is practically the equivalent of a get out of jail free card! It’s immunity!”

“I don’t know about immunity.” Ashanti replied.

“Within reason of course! As long as you don’t go pickin’ fights you’ll be golden!”

It was strange to think that she had ‘immunity’. It wasn’t like she would typically need it. It was comforting to think however that an incident like the one that had led to Ashanti obtaining the object wouldn’t happen as long as thugs knew she was carrying it.

Ashanti slipped the bullet back into her pocket. “I’ve been thinking about putting it on a chain, but I’m nervous about accidentally breaking it or something.” 

“Not to worry! There’s a shop down Second that can do it for ya!”

  
  


~~~

  
  


Ashanti headed to the store after her shift. It wasn’t really that far of a walk, but it was dark and she was still nervous despite the bullet she carried. She stayed as close to the lights as she could as she made her way down the sidewalk.

The shop itself looked small and rickety. To top it off, the ‘U’ in the sign above the door was out. A neon sign that read ‘OPEN’ flickered every now and then. Needless to say, Ashanti was having doubts.

As the caracal pushed the door open, a small bell rang. A voice from somewhere in the back yelled “I’ll be with you in just a minute!”

Ashanti studied the store with interest. It was much nicer on the inside and her faith was restored. A variety of items rested in glass cases. She started to walk to the back of the store where the register was, but stopped when something caught her eye.

She looked through the glass at the intricate music boxes inside. She had always loved music boxes, ever since she was a little girl! A pale purple one with white flowers on the lid rested on top of the glass case. A little note was sticking out from underneath it that read ‘try me!’.

Ashanti opened its lid and wound it, listening contentedly as the gentle melody reached her ears. She ran her finger along the inside of the box, feeling the velvet-like texture.

“ I always liked those myself! What can I do for you miss…?” A black and white fox was leaning forwards over the counter by the register.

“Ashanti.”

“Pleasure to meet you Ashanti! My name's Colton, but you probably already knew that!” He chuckled good naturedly and offered a paw. Ashanti shook it happily.

“Likewise. I was hoping you might be able to string this on a chain for me?” The caracle retrieved the bullet and passed it to the fox.

Upon receiving the bullet, Colton made a surprised sound before looking up at her with newfound interest . Holding the bullet carefully in his palm he asked “You too?”

“...too?” She asked curiously.

To Ashanti’s surprise, Colton pulled a separate bullet from under the counter, setting both beside each other on the wood. They were the same color, same size, same everything except for the inscribed ‘E’. The top line of Ashanti’s reached farther back past the vertical line, while Colton’s was a bit shorter. His ‘E’ was a bit crooked, unlike hers that was straighter. 

“I leave mine in the window up front when I close up. Stops any would-be robbers from breaking in. Did you get yours recently?”

Ashanti nodded. “A couple weeks ago. Do you know anyone else who has one?”

The fox shook his head. “Nah. I’m sure there’s got to be a few more in circulation though. Why? Are you thinking of starting a support group?” He smiled at his own joke.

“No, just wondering…why would you need a support group?”

“Have you even met her? Dear heavens is she a blessing but if she hides money in my shop one more time I swear I’m going to strangle her.” His smile implied he wasn’t actually that upset. 

Ashanti perked up at that. “Does she come in often?”

“All the time! Usually once or twice a week. I make custom charms for her. She’s quite a collector! Anyway, I can get that hooked to a chain in no time, it’ll only be about ten minutes.”

“That would be wonderful, thank you!”

“It’s my pleasure!”

It turned out it was a rather simple procedure. Colton drilled a hole through the top of the bullet and let Ashanti pick a chain from the cabinet next to the desk. She chose a dark, steely grey chain and in no time, the bullet was threaded on. It hung upside down now, but the good news about the letter ‘E’ is that it looks the same upside down as it does right side up. 

“Do you think you could help me find her?” Ashanti asked as Colton packaged her things.

“You don’t find the Echo, the Echo finds you! I can try to pass along the message though.”

“Thank you!” The caracal slid the chain over her neck.

“It’s no problem at all. Take care, Ashanti!”

“You as well Colton!”

She grabbed the bag and made her way out the door. Ok. So maybe she caved and bought the music box.

  
  


~~~

  
  


It took a few days before Ashanti knew Colton had made good on his promise. 

The day started as it usually did. Ashanti woke up, got dressed, and grabbed her newly chained bullet from inside her also new music box. She slung the chain around her neck, and walked to the cafe. She ate at the same table as usual (a bagel this time), and began to make her way to work afterwards. 

“And  _ why _ exactly do you need me here for this,  _ pray tell. _ ”

She stopped in her tracks before she turned the final corner. A gust of wind blowing from that direction passed her by, carrying the faint scent of gunpowder.

“So I can get your stupid ass out of the house before you set the kitchen on fire... _ Again.” _

Ashanti knew that voice.

“ _ It was only one time _ ! And for your information, my ass isn’t stupid. It’s perfect. So get your facts straight.”

“I saw the way you were eyeing the oven! And don’t kid yourself. It’s mediocre at best.”

“How the fuck would  _ you  _ know!?”

“Ajax. I’m asexual. Not blind.”

A string of spluttering and barely concealed laughter drifted around the corner as Ashanti turned it.

Leaning against the wall, one leg crossed over the other and grinning like a maniac, was the Echo. A hybrid of some sort stood in front of her, glaring incredulously. He appeared to be the source of the spluttering. 

The Echo turned her head towards Ashanti and straightened. “Finally decided to grace us with your presence I see.” Mischief was dancing in her green eyes.

Ashanti ran. 

Ashanti ran and hugged her. 

The Echo stood ramrod straight, and for a few terrifying moments, Ashanti was scared she may have overstepped her boundaries, but then The Echo relaxed and hugged her back. 

“Jeez Ashi, what’s with the urgent hug? Did you miss me all that much?”

Ashanti pulled away from the hug. “I never got to say thank you.”

The wolf raised an eyebrow. “...so?”

“You saved my life and I never said thank you, so...thank you.”

Something flashed in those green eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. The Echo gave one of her signature grins and patted her on the head, ruffling up her fur. “Aww don’t give me any of that sappy stuff.”

“Ok. I don’t get it.” 

Ashanti turned to the hybrid, who had been watching the exchange in silence. She was immediately drawn to the hulking white horns that loomed over the top of his head.

“Why is it that  _ you  _ always get the girls and dudes!? You’re not even into them!”

“Maybe if you weren’t such a creep you would get them more.” The Echo snipped back. 

“I am not a creep, Zira, I’m just friendly!”

“A little too friendly if you ask me.”

The hybrid rolled his purple eyes and turned to Ashanti and held out a hand, the other neatly tucked behind his back. “The name’s Ajax,” he drawled, “and you are?”

“Ashanti.” She shook his hand.

“Pleasure to be meeting you sweetheart.”

The Echo..Zira...rolled her own eyes. “Stop that.”

“I’m just saying hello!”

She turned back to Ashanti. “Don’t worry about him. He flirts with anything that moves.”

“And why  _ wouldn’t  _ I with this dashing young lady!”

“Do I need to get the Thot Swatter?”

Ajax froze, slowly turning his head away from Ashanti. He looked at Zira with wide eyes. “You wouldn’t  _ dare _ .” He didn’t sound so sure.

Zira met his gaze with an expression that just screamed ‘Try Me Bitch’.

By the end of the exchange, Ashanti was equal parts flattered, confused, and a blushing mess. Nevertheless, she invited them into her shop. 

As soon as Ajax entered the cafe, he stopped dead in his tracks. “This is a coffee shop...isn’t it.”

She sent him a confused look. “That it is.”

He nodded numbly and watched Zira with a slightly worried expression. “You already had two pots today. No more.”

The caracal didn’t fail to miss the wolf’s large intake of air and the happy wag of her blue-tipped tail. It seemed that The Echo - the big scary assassin, feared by every criminal in the city - had an extreme fondness for coffee shops, or at least coffee.

“...How could you betray me in this way?” The wolf in question asked the hybrid, amping up the hurt in her voice and thoroughly overacting. 

“Two pots. Two. Whole. Pots.”

The staring contest that followed was strange to watch from an outside point of view. Ashanti left the two standing there, eyes fixed on each other.

She walked up to the counter and front register. Wicker stood behind it, frozen with a dazed look on his face. Zira rushed forward, and firmly slid a five dollar bill across the counter to Ashanti. Wicker shrinked into himself.

“One of whatever on your menu has the most caffeine.” Apparently she won that argument.

The caracal got to work, maneuvering around her catatonic coworker. Ajax sauntered up and leaned against the counter, chin resting in the palm of his hand. “I believe you owe me a drink.”

“Uh...Why?”

“I’m afraid I dropped mine when I saw you.”

Zira groaned. “You didn’t even have one dumbass.”

“Yea, cause I’m waiting to get that one.” Ajax gestured to Ashanti, who was now horribly red in the face.

She was about to try and stutter out a reply, but before she even had time to open her mouth, the room echoed with a loud slap. Ajax made a pained exclamation and held a hand to the top of his head between his horns. Zira wore a smug expression. In her paws, she held a flyswatter. Taped on the side of its handle was a paper that labeled it as ‘Thot Swatter™’.

“Spiders. Spiders in your bed tonight.”

Zira’s smirk turned into a scowl that had Wicker back away even more than he already had. “I  _ dare  _ you to try it.  _ I fucking dare you. _ ”

Ajax grumbled a bit but stayed silent.

Ashanti gave Zira her drink. The wolf took it eagerly and thanked her. The duo was about to leave before Ashanti remembered and halted them. She dug around in her pockets for the third thing that she had gotten from Colton.

“I almost forgot! Colton told me to give this to you!” Ashanti passed the three hundred dollars to Zira. 

“That damn fox! He sure is playing dirty.” Zira’s feigned annoyance was betrayed by the fond smile on her face. She put the money in one of her pockets.

“That reminds me! I nearly forgot something as well!” Zira watched Ajax suspiciously as he smoothly made his way back to Ashanti. “You see I’ve been having some phone trouble lately-“

Ashanti was wondering where this was going. She wasn’t a tech genius or anything. That curiosity evaporated when she saw Zira’s face. Oh yeah. She knew exactly where it was going now.

“It seems to be missing your number.”

The caracal exchanged a quick glance with the wolf, then patted Ajax’s cheek with a smile. “You are adorable!”

He seemed a little shocked at the reaction. Zira grabbed him by the elbow and dragged him out, cackling. Ashanti watched them leave, smile still on her face.

It was a solid minute before Wicker moved or spoke at all. “Oh…..my god.”

“Are you ok?”

“I can’t believe that just happened.”

Ashanti patted him sympathetically on the shoulder. “No need to worry anymore. The big scary assassin left the building.”

“....I just watched The Echo hit The Devil over the head with a flyswatter.”

That made Ashanti pause. “Wait, what?”

“You patted The Devil on the cheek and called him adorable.”

“...Oh my god….I patted an assassin on the cheek and called him adorable.”

“...He was flirting with you.”

“An  _ assassin _ was  _ flirting _ with me.”

They both sat down.

…

“Oh my god.”


End file.
